


Mechanicus

by everywintersbreath



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: M/M, Machines, Minor Character Death, Minor Injuries, Post-Apocalypse, Swearing, mingyu is a little off
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-26
Updated: 2018-09-06
Packaged: 2019-07-03 01:00:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15808101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/everywintersbreath/pseuds/everywintersbreath
Summary: Wen Junhui is afraid of two things:1. The mechanical monsters that roam the streets.2. Getting stuck between a bickering Wonwoo and Soonyoung.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hi i love aus like this so uh
> 
> i try

The machine outside is howling, a noise like two pieces of sheet metal rapidly being scraped against one another.

It echoes off the concrete walls of the tiny garage they’ve taken shelter in, the light fixtures rattling. Junhui grimaces, his reflection mirroring the action from where it floats in and out of clarity in the three-inch deep layer of water that covers the floor.

As disgusting as the murky liquid is, it’s the only thing stopping the machine outside from getting in. It’s been chasing them all the way from the hardware store they had tried looting earlier, an M856 Crawler by the looks of it. It’s not anywhere near the strongest of the machines that have overrun the city but it’s fast as hell. Taking it on is a risk now that they’ve lost most of their weapons. 

“This is your fault,” Soonyoung mutters, shadowed form hunched against some shelves at the opposite end of the garage. He’s fiddling with a screwdriver, dragging it across the top of the box he’s sitting on, feet trailing in the water. “Fuck you,” Wonwoo replies in a low snarl from beside Junhui, eyes closed lightly.

“Guys,” Junhui starts softly, voice gentle. “Let’s not do this right now.”

Soonyoung spits something onto the box lid moodily, not meeting Junhui’s gaze. “It’s true,” he insists, feet moving rapidly enough to splash up a few droplets of liquid. Junhui sighs, resting a hand on Wonwoo’s leg to stop him from continuing the engagement. “Blaming each other isn’t going to help. We’re here now, we can’t change that.”

Soonyoung responds by kicking more ferociously at the water, silent. Junhui sighs softly, the noise barely audible despite the uncomfortable silence that hangs over them. The machine outside is so loud that at this point it’ll start attracting more. “I’m going to go for it,” he says after a moment, carefully observing Soonyoung’s reaction. The other tenses, his fists curling up. “With what?” He asks almost mockingly. “Wonwoo blew any advantage we had by tossing out those weapons.”

“It was an accident!” Wonwoo growls. “Why do you always have to be such a dick?”

“Guys,” Junhui says as sharply as he can manage, unused to being in a position where he needs to resolve a conflict. “Stop. I’ll take the rake over there. It’ll work well enough. We have to get rid of the Crawler before more come.”

“Let me come too,” Wonwoo says quickly. Soonyoung scoffs. “And what are you gonna do? Stare at it until it falls over? I’ll go with you, Junhui.” 

“GUYS!” Junhui scolds, actually upset now. “Seriously, stop! If you want to come, then both of you come. Just stop fighting, please.”

His voice gets smaller at the end, more desperate. Both of them have the decency to look mollified, Soonyoung standing up first. “Sorry,” he says. “Let’s go.” Wonwoo follows suit, the both of them trailing behind Junhui as he moves to the gap beneath the door of the garage, peeking out at the machine which sits just out of reach. 

He can hear them whispering insults at each other behind his back as if he can’t hear. He grits his teeth, grabbing the rake from its position leaned up against the wall and sliding under the garage door in a wave of water, the noise from the machine growing in volume as he appears before it. It scrapes at the ground near the edge of the water, nearly deafening. 

The other two appear beside him, splashing Junhui in the process of skidding out from the garage. The rain is hammering down with intensity, lowering visibility and likely contributing to the distress of the M856 Crawler. They’ve fought these things before, albeit with better weapons like actual swords. Junhui knows where to hit to cause damage. 

He darts forward, the Crawler swinging at him as soon as he’s within arm's length. Junhui ducks under its metallic limb, gripping the rake so tightly that his fingers go white. “Watch the legs!” Soonyoung yells, moving to his side and whacking at the Crawler’s legs with his screwdriver as a distraction. The Crawler turns to face Soonyoung, unable to focus on multiple things at once.

Junhui uses the opportunity, striking up at the underside of the thing’s body with the rake as hard as he can. He gets about three hits in before its attention is back on him completely. sharp limbs swinging at his head. He dodges rapidly, thankful as Wonwoo starts yelling and taunting to get the thing’s attention again. 

Soonyoung is pulling on its leg, having managed to unscrew the bottom portion while it was distracted. The machine stumbles, giving Junhui the chance to batter its midsection. The Crawler makes a screeching noise, falling down completely, balance giving out. Junhui keeps hitting, frantic, waiting until the spokes of the rake sink into its body and the light goes out to step backward. 

The rake is badly damaged, several of the spokes having snapped off. It likely won’t be used as much more than another distraction in the future. He sighs, dropping it and kicking it back towards the garage door before going to look over the mechanical corpse with Wonwoo and Soonyoung. 

“Let’s take the arms,” Soonyoung suggests. “They have sharp enough tips to do some damage.” Junhui hums, observing what he means. “Good idea.”

Wonwoo stays quiet, glumly taking the metal limb that Junhui hands him after Soonyoung unscrews it. It’s heavier than the weapons they’re used to but it’s much better than some screwdrivers and a rake. Junhui mentally begs for Soonyoung to hurry up, feeling exposed out in the open night. Wonwoo clearly shares the sentiment, constantly turning to look around.

“This thing’s built really flimsy,” Soonyoung mutters, snapping off another limb to hand to Junhui. “You’d think they’d use more than screws to keep it together.”

Wonwoo grunts. “They don’t waste resources on the little guys like this. These are supposed to be annoyances, the bigger ones are constructed a lot more carefully.” Soonyoung glances back, eyes glinting. “You sure know a lot about them,” he says suggestively. 

“Soonyoung,” Junhui warns, seeing Wonwoo’s eyes roll so far back into his head they might disappear. Luckily, Wonwoo decides not to respond to the dig, just huffing and moving back towards the garage, pushing both the rake and the Crawler’s arm under the door. Junhui tosses him his own limb, waiting for Soonyoung to finish removing the third one before hurrying  
over. 

As soon as all three of them are back inside the garage, Junhui allows himself to relax, looking over the other two. “Any injuries?” He asks. Wonwoo shakes his head and Soonyoung murmurs a no. “Good.”

Junhui settles himself up against the concrete wall, no longer caring about the water that coats his lower half. He sets the limb down at his side in case he needs quick access to it during the remainder of the night. Wonwoo seems to have a similar idea, resting his head on his like it’s a pillow. Junhui almost laughs at the sight.

Now that the Crawler is gone, it’s quiet save for the sound of the pouring rain. Junhui looks over at Soonyoung, hearing his stomach rumble. The other boy flushes, embarrassed. Junhui gives him an understanding smile. “We should try to find some food tomorrow, yeah?”

Soonyoung nods and Wonwoo grunts. “Yeah, tomorrow. Now go to bed.”

Junhui does laugh this time, settling back and closing his eyes, waiting for sleep to carry him off. Usually, they’ll have a watch system but since it’s unlikely that anything will be able to sneak up on them in the garage he’s not too worried. 

“Goodnight,” he whispers. 

 

 

Junhui wakes up first, as usual. He looks over at the other two, sleeping as peacefully as they used to before the mechanical apocalypse. A tiny smile appears on his face, fond. At least he still has them. He hasn’t lost everything yet.

He stretches out his arms, glancing around. The rain has stopped but there’s still more water covering his lower half than there was at the time he had gone to sleep. It’s quiet, not necessarily a sure sign of safety. At the very least, it means anything that might be outside hasn’t discovered them yet.

A pang of hunger shoots through his stomach. Junhui stands as quietly as he can in a pool of water, making his way towards the door of the garage. It’s been two days since they’ve last found food, and not for lack of trying. The scarcity of food is quickly becoming their most threatening problem, even worse than the flying mechanical beasts that patrol the skies with nothing but violence in their thoughts. 

He looks out under the door in every direction he can, trying to get the most complete picture of the outside that he can. The increase in water level means he has to submerge his head partially just to see through the actual gap. They’re going to have to swim under if they can’t raise the door any higher. 

Luckily, Junhui can’t see any machines, or anything moving at all for that matter. The cute little orderly suburban houses across the street are shadowed over by the towering silhouettes of the buildings behind them, factories belching smoke into the skies. Many of the skyscrapers are still lit up, no one around to turn off the lights in the morning anymore. There are visible holes in the sides of the buildings where machines have crashed through to claim victims. Junhui’s wary enough of the structural integrity of them that he tries to avoid walking through the downtown area.

“Why hasn’t the water drained away?” Soonyoung complains behind him groggily, not minding the volume of his voice. Wonwoo groans in irritation, woken up. Junhui takes his head from the water, shrugging. “I’m not sure, to be honest. Maybe the drains are blocked up by debris or something.”

“I’m about to block up Soonyoung’s mouth with debris,” Wonwoo says grouchily, pushing himself up and coming toward Junhui. Junhui cuts him off, not wanting to deal with this so early in the morning. “There’s nothing outside that I can see,” he starts. “We should go soon while the coast is clear.”

“Alright,” Soonyoung says, picking up his weapon. Junhui grabs his as well, gesturing for the two of them to come closer. Wonwoo’s already holding his because he’s paranoid. “Help me try to lift up the door so we don’t get even more soaked. It’s getting colder and I don’t want us to freeze to death later.”

To Junhui’s surprise, it’s not very hard to lift up the door when all three of them are working together. It locks into place at the top, allowing them to walk through normally. “Okay, nice,” Soonyoung whistles. “I say we go down the street over there,” he gestures. “I remember seeing a grocery store there last night when we were running.”

“Sounds good to me,” Junhui hums. He’s always been more of a follower than a leader anyway. Wonwoo stays silent, just following them as they set off. They stick close to the buildings, not wanting to walk too far out in the open in case any of the flying machines are nearby. The main type, the M677 Hawk, moves exactly like its namesake, swooping in for any exposed prey.

Junhui shudders at the thought, dragging his feet forward through the water. It’s surprisingly difficult to wade through, enacting significant resistance on his legs. Still, he’s grateful for it. The increased water level has submerged the whole street, even the part the Crawler was standing on the night before, meaning they’ll be safe from any landlocked machines. 

When they round the corner onto the wider street which likely would have been a major street back when people were around, it’s obvious that the grocery store Soonyoung had mentioned seeing is up ahead. Unfortunately, it’s on a hill. The protection of the surrounding water won’t work up there.

As if sensing Junhui’s agitation, Wonwoo speaks up. “Don’t worry,” he says. “If things go bad we just run back down here. They won’t follow us.” Junhui nods, giving him a small smile and gripping the Crawler’s limb even tighter. Soonyoung shushes them, pointing up the hill to where there’s a larger machine moving around, poking at the ground.

“Mantis,” Wonwoo whispers. “I forget the number. They’ve got a nasty strike attack. We should try to sneak past.”

“It’s right in front of the store,” Soonyoung mutters. “How do you suggest we sneak past?”

Wonwoo snorts. “The store has to have another entrance, dumbass. We just go around the back.” Junhui looks between them, not wanting another fight to break out. Thankfully for his sanity, Soonyoung just makes a noise, looking across the street. “Let’s dash across.”

They do as he suggests, waiting for the machine to face the other direction. It’s a messy splash of a run, ending with them ducking against a fence when the machine turns to search for the source of the noise. Somehow, it doesn’t see them, turning back to whatever it was doing previously. 

Junhui lets out a breath, creeping up the hill behind Soonyoung as they move around a small block of businesses. There are no machines on the other side, only a large field. Walking along the back wall of the building, they get fairly close to the store. Unfortunately, there’s still a gap they need to cross, quite close to the Mantis’ position. 

Junhui sidles around Soonyoung, poking his head around the corner. Instantly, he feels sick. The object which occupies the Mantis’ attention is a human corpse, one that it is repeatedly stabbing at. He backs up, making a face at Wonwoo. “We need to run for it again,” Wonwoo murmurs. “If it notices us, just sprint back to the water. We don’t want to engage with that thing.”

Junhui can’t help but agree, having seen now just how large it is. He remembers seeing one of these before but never having fought one. “Okay,” Soonyoung mutters. “It’s still distracted so let’s go on my count. Three, two, one, go.”

They sprint across the gap, much less noise produced now that they’re running on dry asphalt rather than through inches of water. The thing strains its neck around after they get behind the safety of the grocery store, unobservant. “Take that, dumb piece of shit,” Soonyoung says victoriously. 

“Don’t taunt fate,” Wonwoo cautions, urging them forward. He keeps looking around, ever wary. “Whatever,” Soonyoung grumbles, walking forward towards where, sure enough, there’s a back door to the store. “We’re lucky it’s not an emergency exit,” Junhui says softly as Soonyoung impulsively swings the door open. 

The other doesn’t hear him, already having walked inside. Wonwoo rolls his eyes, going in at Junhui’s side. 

The shelves of the store have clearly been looted already but aren’t yet empty. There’s even some bottled water left over, likely too inconvenient to transport. Junhui swings his backpack off his shoulder, moving down the nearest aisle and grabbing as many consumables as he can carry. It’s a large number since the backpack is pretty much empty. 

Near the front of the store, he finds a rack of clothing for some sports team he doesn’t care about. It’s tacky, but it’s still a change of clothes. He grabs one of the jerseys and a pair of shorts, heading behind a magazine stand to change. Maybe it’s silly to care about being seen naked in these times but he can’t help it around Soonyoung and Wonwoo. 

As soon as he finishes, he fetches the other two to show them. They follow his example, changing. He looks away, of course, pretending to find the rack of soup cans fascinating. After an agonizing minute, they reappear. “What now?” Wonwoo asks, backpack bulging. 

“Let’s eat some food that we didn’t pack away,” Soonyoung suggests. Junhui likes that suggestion, going back into the aisles to fetch some easily accessible food items. They end up feasting on crackers, nuts, and hard blocks of dry ramen noodles. It’s kind of gross, but they don’t have the luxury of being picky. Junhui’s just happy to have food.

“This store’s pretty decent,” Wonwoo comments. “Should we stay in this area until we’ve exhausted it?”

“I don’t know,” Junhui mumbles. “I mean, the water protection in that neighborhood is really nice. We could.” Soonyoung nods. “It’s not like we have anywhere else to go either.”

Before they can make a decision, there’s a crash from nearby. Junhui jumps half a foot into the air, grabbing for the Crawler’s limb. Wonwoo scrambles to his feet, staring at the culprit. It’s not a machine.

It’s a man, standing between them and the front of the store, gun in his hand. He looks a little crazed, pointing the gun straight at Wonwoo. “This is my store,” he says, voice scratchy. “Drop your weapons or I’ll shoot.”

Junhui immediately obeys, the others doing the same. Wonwoo raises his hands over his head, staring at the man warily. “We’ll put the stuff back,” Wonwoo says. “We’ll leave. Just don’t shoot.”

The man’s hand trembles, his eyes darting back and forth. “You already ate some of my food,” he hisses darkly. Soonyoung speaks up, nervous. “We didn’t know. We can pay you back. Please, put down the gun.”

The man looks at them, and for a second, Junhui thinks he might actually put it down. 

Then, he shoots. 

Junhui screams, scrambling for Wonwoo. He grabs at the other’s cheeks desperately, only to find that he’s fine. The bullet didn’t hit him. The man had shot just past his head. “What the fuck, dude?” Soonyoung snarls, stumbling forward. 

The man stares at them, gun still raises, his whole body trembling. 

It’s then that Junhui sees it, attracted by the noise. The Mantis is coming, getting closer and closer to the front of the store by the second. “RUN!” Junhui screams, waving his arms. “RUN!”

The man doesn’t move, frozen to the spot. Junhui tugs on Soonyoung and Wonwoo, pulling them with him back through the aisles. He’s running backward, still yelling at the man.

It’s useless.

With a horrendous crash, the front of the store is crumbling in, the Mantis crashing through and sending one pincer through the body of the man who had pointed the gun at them. Junhui lets out a whimpering noise, turning around and running for the exit. He can’t look anymore.

The three of them continue to run all the way back down the hill, not stopping until they are waist deep in the water again. Junhui’s breathing heavily, partially from the cardio, partially from crying. “Idiot,” Soonyoung mutters, kicking angrily at a rock under the water. “What an idiot.”

Wonwoo looks over at him, patting Junhui’s back comfortingly. “It’s almost as if you were concerned about me back there,” he says, a half-hearted attempt to lighten the mood. Soonyoung glares at him, not entirely malicious. 

“Whatever, loser. Let’s just get away from here.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw: semi-detailed description of an injury

On the one-hundredth day, things start going wrong.

It starts out normally, the three of them walking from their new apartment building to a nearby grocery store. They’ve left the flooded neighborhood close behind, marking it as a location to go only in case of emergency. The new place is nice, the grass around the building long and untamed now that the gardener is no longer around to mow it. 

Wonwoo’s walking a few steps ahead of the other two when it happens, an M677 Hawk coming down from seemingly nowhere straight for his body. Soonyoung moves faster than Junhui can, diving in front of the other man. A noise rips through the air, someone’s scream, too inhuman to be recognizable.

Maybe it’s their luck catching up to them, Junhui thinks. Maybe it’s nature’s cruel way of evening things out.

Before he can ponder about it too much, he’s leaping for the machine, ripping and scratching it, clawing at the thing’s metal shell with a fury. The man next to him is doing the same, perhaps even more vigorously, sending a startled noise like that of a dying cat from the frozen lips of the Hawk.

It’s flapping its cold wings, scraping a line down Junhui’s arm as it tries to get away. Wonwoo roars, cutting through its left wing and leaving the struggling creature grounded. It’s screaming so loudly now that Junhui doesn’t even feel the least bit guilty when he stabs up into its chest, hitting the central unit and disabling its internal mechanisms. 

Wonwoo stands panting beside him, eyes wild as he whirls to face Soonyoung’s crumpled figure on the ground nearby. He’s turned away, face not visible. Junhui panics, dashing over and sliding down to his side, not caring about the way the asphalt scrapes the skin off of his knees. 

Soonyoung blinks at him, almost surprised. “I’m fine,” he starts slowly as Junhui scans his body. “It just scratched my leg a little. Nothing too bad.”

“No, you’re not,” Wonwoo growls, stalking over. He’s looking at the same thing Junhui is, the giant chasm of ripped flesh down the front of Soonyoung’s leg, part of his bone visible. It looks like the bone itself might be broken from when he was slammed into the surface of the road. Junhui feels like he’s going to throw up. 

“Don’t look at it,” he tells Soonyoung, swallowing. “We have to take you to the hospital. Wonwoo can fix you up with the right supplies.”

“Okay,” Soonyoung mumbles. “Not sure I trust him though.” Wonwoo rolls his eyes. “If you have the energy to be annoying then you’re fine. I didn’t go through years of medical school for nothing.”

“Well,” Soonyoung murmurs, sticking his tongue out. “Cool humble brag and all, but the real issue is how the hell you two are going to get me to the hospital in the first place.”

Junhui glances at him. “One of us can carry you, the other can poke at anything that tries to mess with us. It’s not that far to the hospital, you know?”

“Yeah,” Wonwoo agrees, coming over to glare down at Soonyoung menacingly. “So let me pick you up.” Soonyoung rolls his eyes, reaching his arms up like a baby anyway. Wonwoo bends down, lifting him up in one motion. His face goes red from the exertion, Soonyoung letting out a tiny yowl of agony as his leg is jostled. Junhui gets up beside them, walking close alongside Wonwoo in case his arms give way.

Soonyoung looks like he’s struggling, face getting paler and paler with each step Wonwoo takes. Junhui can’t even imagine how much it hurts, blood dripping from his open wound. He looks away, bile in the back of his throat. No matter how much he tries to concentrate on watching their surroundings, he can’t ignore Soonyoung’s little breaths of pain. 

The walk to the old hospital feels exponentially more lengthy now than it ever has before, the number of machines in the distance increasing the closer they get. The neighborhood they have been staying in is only a few minutes out but still less densely populated than the inner city which crawls with the things.

None of the machines really seem to notice the trio or care about them. Maybe Junhui was too rash in thinking that luck had forgotten about them. He sighs in relief as they reach the parking lot, hurrying forward to the front entrance. Junhui swings open one of the large glass doors, beckoning Wonwoo through.

From how intact the ground floor of the building had looked on the outside, Junhui doesn’t think they’ll have to worry about much more than Hawks (although it was a Hawk who sent them here in the first place, so maybe that should be more of a concern). As long as they stay away from windows or open-walled areas, it will hopefully be okay.

He tentatively steps after Wonwoo, staying close until Wonwoo deposits Soonyoung into a chair past the reception area. It’s likely the waiting room for a specialized clinic, although Junhui doesn’t care much at the moment. It’s safe, and that’s what matters. “Stay here,” Wonwoo instructs the two of them, jogging off into another room.

Junhui’s never seen Wonwoo hurry in his life. He’s probably the laziest person he knows, which is why the sight is so disconcerting. Junhui gulps, turning his attention back to Soonyoung, who seems to be sweating profusely. 

“How are you feeling, Soonie?” He asks softly, knowing it’s a dumb question. Maybe if he gets him talking, he won’t feel as awful. The other looks at him, eyes wavering. “I’ve been better,” he murmurs. “But I’ll be fine, seriously. This is just like that one time that Wonwoo jammed his finger playing basketball with Seungcheol and you were acting like he was gonna die.”

Junhui frowns at him, pouty. “Not true. This is a serious injury, you jerk. I might be a worry wart but it’s justified this time.”

Soonyoung closes his eyes briefly, reopening them to give Junhui a fond smile. “I know, I know. I’m just teasing. I really appreciate how much you care about us.” 

Junhui’s face goes a little bit red at the remark, something which he hopes Soonyoung won’t notice or at least will pass off as a hallucination brought about by his injury. “Well, thanks,” he murmurs ever so tenderly, glancing over his shoulder as a loud noise sounds from a nearby hallway. “Wonwoo?” Soonyoung calls out, voice scratchy. 

There’s no reply. Junhui goes to stand up, begging whatever god might be out there to not let it be a machine. 

A tall man stumbles into the room, a smile on his face and his eyes darting between the two of them. Junhui stiffens, remembering their last encounter with another person. It had been the man in the grocery store, the one who had tried to shoot Wonwoo. “Hello,” the man says pleasantly, waving a hand. 

He’s shuffling his weight from foot to foot, waiting for a response. “Hi,” Junhui says, as friendly in tone as he can manage. The man’s face lights up like a kid who’s been given candy, all his teeth showing when he smiles. “This is Mingyu’s hospital,” he says loudly, gesturing at himself when he says the name. Junhui squints, wondering if he had been too quick to pass the guy off as normal. 

“Are you… Mingyu?” He asks, receiving a nod and some more pointing from the other man. “Mingyu,” he says proudly, tapping at his chest repeatedly. Junhui smiles shakily, feeling Soonyoung’s hand creep into his and squeeze. He blames the racing of his heartbeat on their situation rather than the fact that Soonyoung’s holding his hand. “Hi, Mingyu. I’m Junhui and this is Soonyoung. Are you okay with us being here?”

Mingyu gives him a big enthusiastic nod. “Yes, yes! Mingyu loves visitors. It’s been a long time since Mingyu’s seen friends like you! Mingyu has lots to show you.”

“We’d be glad to look,” Soonyoung starts, palm sweaty against Junhui’s. “Unfortunately, I can’t walk at the moment. Our other friend is coming to help me take care of my leg.”

Mingyu peers over at it, coming closer. “Ouchie,” he comments. “Mingyu doesn’t know anything about how to fix you.”

“That’s okay,” Junhui reassures quickly, seeing that the tall man looks almost guilty. “Thank you for looking, Mingyu. You’re very kind.” He’s kind of just sputtering but it seems to do the trick, the taller man perking up and spinning around to look as Wonwoo reenters the room. Wonwoo glances at Mingyu, eyes wide, hurrying to Soonyoung’s side. 

“Oh, Wonwoo, this is Mingyu. Mingyu, this is Wonwoo,” Junhui introduces quickly, moving out of the way so that Wonwoo can get to work on Soonyoung’s leg. Mingyu beams at the new arrival, wandering across the room while still staring over at them. He seems nice enough.

“Where do you come from?” Mingyu asks suddenly. Junhui shrugs. “This city. We’ve been moving a lot since this started. Haven’t stayed in one place for very long.”

“Hm,” Mingyu says, the sound corresponding with Soonyoung’s hiss as Wonwoo covers his leg in disinfectant. “Mingyu has lived here ever since the nasty metal animals came from that factory. Mingyu saw them being made and Mingyu said that it was a bad idea but no one listened to Mingyu.”

“What do you mean?” Junhui asks, his interest piqued. Mingyu turns away, looking at a painting of a giraffe that hangs on the wall. For a moment, it’s quiet save for Soonyoung’s quick breaths of discomfort. When Mingyu speaks again, he sounds sad. 

“Mingyu’s dad made the metal animals.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> never fear, mingyu's here
> 
> thank you for reading i hope u enjoyed <3


	3. Chapter 3

Wonwoo is the first to speak after Mingyu’s sudden announcement, reaction hidden to Junhui due to his face being turned toward Soonyoung’s injured leg. “Do you know anything about them that could be helpful to us?” He asks, wrapping the cast tightly around Soonyoung’s calf. His tone is careful, almost guarded.

Mingyu shrugs, looking helplessly at Junhui. “Mingyu does not know many things. Mingyu is sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Junhui says, trying to hide his disappointment. A moment passes and then Mingyu springs back up, mood perpetually bouncing between excited and sad. “Wait,” Mingyu starts. “Mingyu knows where his father’s office is. All his father’s things should be there still. You could look.”

“Where is it?” Soonyoung asks immediately, interest piqued. Mingyu whirls, pointing at one of the hospital's walls as if they have any way of knowing which direction that is. “There’s a big factory over there. The first factory. Mingyu can show you his father’s office, but it’ll be dangerous. Lots of not nice creatures there. They don’t like us.”

Junhui glances over at his companions, pondering. He makes eye contact with a thoughtful looking Soonyoung who raises one brow at him. “I think we should go,” Junhui says, calm. “If we could find anything at all about their designs it would be worth it. As it is, we’re just sitting ducks with no way to fight back.”

“But Soonyoung’s leg,” Wonwoo protests. “And what if we don’t find anything?”

“I’ll be fine,” Soonyoung says gently, poking at Wonwoo’s forehead. “And you need to have some faith. This dude literally invented these things. He has to at least have their plans.”

Mingyu makes a humming noise, leaning forward on his toes. “Mingyu remembers his dad’s drawings of the metal animals.”

Sighing, Wonwoo seems to give in and stops talking. For a second, it’s peacefully quiet, and then Soonyoung speaks. 

“Oh, yeah,” he starts, sounding oddly satisfied with himself. “And in case you thought otherwise, I’m coming with you guys.”

 

<~>

 

Soonyoung is incredibly stubborn when he wants to be, persisting to the point where Wonwoo and Junhui agree to bring him solely out of the desire to escape his whining. They’re able to get him to agree to be pushed in one of the hospital’s wheelchairs, the old thing squeaking as Junhui guides it down the street (Wonwoo has had a bit too much fun pushing Soonyoung down slopes at a fast pace for him to be trusted with pushing the wheelchair during this task).

It’s almost funny, Junhui thinks, how nonchalant they look. It’s like a group of friends on an outing, casually walking down the middle of the street. They’ve chosen the street with the fewest machines on it, a factor determined by an hour of sitting on top of the hospital roof and peering down with squinted eyes. 

Still, they have to be vigilant. There are always machines around in this part of the city, especially the closer they get to the factory itself. 

As if summoned by his thoughts, an M102 Spider comes darting from the shadows, probably the agilest of all the models. Luckily, it’s not very powerful or large. Mingyu stabs his spear through its back viciously, immediately puncturing the thing’s processing unit. It sputters off, crumbling down. Mingyu grins over at them, eyes curling up.

Junhui gives him a small smile in return before returning his attention to the road ahead. It’s not far now, the large smokestacks of the factory within a close enough distance that they loom overhead, their shadows covering the entirety of the street. They’ve long since stopped belching smoke but the stains of production are still there, streaks down the chimneys and front gate hanging wide open, revealing a browning yard. 

The whole place looks menacing, really. Junhui doesn’t know how anyone could have gone to work here without feeling like a caricature cartoon villain. 

He gulps, fingers tightening around the handles of the wheelchair. They’re at the gate now. This is when the plan really kicks into action. “Ready?” Wonwoo asks grimly, receiving a nod from the others in the group. He sighs, pulling open the gate as far as it can go with a screeching noise. A yell comes from inside the factory grounds, definitely not an echo of the sound that had just been made. Junhui takes that as his cue to go. 

He sprints as quickly as he can down the main path of the compound, the wheelchair squeaking in protest as it struggles to keep up the pace. Soonyoung lets out a whoop, the limb of a machine landing just behind them with a crash. Junhui can hear Mingyu and Wonwoo yelling behind them, making a distraction until Junhui and Soonyoung are inside. Mingyu’s much better at it than Wonwoo, screaming like a banshee in a way that almost makes Junhui smile despite their situation.

After several more adrenaline filled steps, Junhui reaches the actual main entrance, jostling Soonyoung inside more roughly than he ever would have if they weren’t being attacked by giant machines. There’s a crash behind them, a sharp metallic claw coming through the glass of the window. Junhui stumbles back, pulling Soonyoung along with him. 

“It’s fine,” Soonyoung says, gesturing. “See? It’s too big to get in. Not strong enough to break the actual building material either.”

Junhui winces as the thing punches through the glass in another spot, shards going flying. “Still feels like we’re tempting fate,” he murmurs, fingers trembling as he tries to peer past the enormous creature for any signs of Wonwoo and Mingyu.

He doesn’t have to wait long.

The two come sliding underneath the thing’s body, scrambling through the doorway as it struggles to try and attack the spot they had just been. “Not the smartest one,” Wonwoo mutters, dusting himself off. Junhui sighs, rolling his eyes. “Stop showing off.”

Wonwoo just smiles, the elusive expression making his face even more handsome. Junhui blinks. He doesn’t have time to dwell on his little crush. They’re here for a reason. “Where to?” Soonyoung asks Mingyu, seeming to be the calmest out of all of them. Junhui wonders if he’d feel the same way in his place. Probably not. 

“Left first,” Mingyu says, hesitating. “There should be a big atrium area with some stairs leading up. Mingyu’s father’s office is on the third floor. The hallways are small enough up there that it should stop the big monsters but the atrium area will be a problem.” 

“It’s okay,” Junhui says reassuringly. “We’ll deal with it when we get there.”

Getting there turns out to be the easy part. They trail behind Mingyu through a network of hallways, passing by many busted in rooms that remind Junhui of the ceramics classroom in his old high school. There aren’t any machines in the hallways, an ominous sign for what’s to come. It’s too quiet, Junhui thinks. 

When they reach the atrium, he thinks he realizes why. The biggest machine he’s ever seen occupies most of the drab space, the bronzed walls reflecting its metallic face across the whole room. His mouth drops open. “Holy shit,” Wonwoo breathes. Junhui can’t help but agree. “Is there any other way we can go?” Soonyoung asks carefully, seeming uncomfortable. 

“Not one that Mingyu knows,” Mingyu says helplessly, seeming just as entranced by the big machine as the rest of them. “We’ll just have to run for it again I guess,” Junhui says, peering at what he can see of the enormous atrium. 

“Not necessarily,” Wonwoo mentions, pointing at it. “Look, I don’t think it has very good senses. We’ve been talking at normal volume and it hasn’t heard us still. Probably doesn’t have much peripheral vision either. Its head is tiny compared to its body.”

“Are you suggesting we sneak past?” Junhui asks, tilting his head. Wonwoo nods. “Once we get inside the stairwell, we should be safe anyway. If it happens to notice us, we just sprint for the stairwell.”

Junhui thinks about it for a moment. “I mean, okay,” he says, glancing at Mingyu and Soonyoung for their reactions. “But one of you will have to take the wheelchair. I’ll carry Soonyoung, it’ll make too much noise otherwise.”

“Done,” Mingyu replies, taking the chair and folding it together as soon as Junhui lifts Soonyoung from the seat. Soonyoung grimaces, resting his head against Junhui’s chest. As they step out into the atrium behind Wonwoo, Junhui can’t tell if the rapid beating of his heart is because of the giant beast before them or Soonyoung.

He decides not to think about it, focusing instead on keeping his steps as catlike as possible, wincing practically every time his foot comes in contact with the linoleum. 

They make it halfway before Mingyu steps backward and jostles his arm into Soonyoung’s ankle, making him cry out in pain.

The machine whirls around, way faster than should be possible for such a huge body. Junhui curses, starting to run for it. The machine is making all kinds of whirring noises, one huge leg coming towards them as if to chop at them. It narrowly misses Wonwoo, almost skimming him as they duck into the stairwell and shut the door behind them.

“Phew,” Soonyoung says.

His relief is premature. The thing's leg comes through the wall behind them, scratching into the floor and sliding to the opposite side of the stairwell. “Shit, go, go!” Wonwoo yells, starting to run upwards. Junhui lags behind the other two, panting from having to carry Soonyoung’s body weight up the already steep staircase. 

The leg comes crashing through in front of him once more, the machine’s warped perception of where they are the only thing saving Junhui’s life. He takes a shaky breath, continuing up. Three flights of stairs have never felt so mountainous.

When they reach the exit door at the top, Junhui feels incredibly grateful, dashing onto the balcony and into the nearest hallway, the machine’s metallic face visible from here. It’s glaring at them, oddly humanoid features making it even more terrifying than the others. “What the hell even is that thing?” Soonyoung asks as Junhui pulls them into a room out of the thing’s sight, extremely uncomfortable with its eerie gaze. “No idea,” he replies, temporarily poking his head to look for Wonwoo and Mingyu. 

They’re down the hallway, beckoning him to come from around the corner. He makes a dash for it, feeling the machine’s eyes boring laser holes into his spine. As soon as he gets behind the protection of walls, a shudder runs up and down his full body. Carefully, he lowers Soonyoung into the wheelchair that Mingyu has unfolded again.

“Do you think it can get us up here?” Junhui whispers, somewhat afraid that it will hear him even though he doesn’t think that’s possible given Wonwoo’s earlier observations. “Dunno,” Wonwoo grumbles, scratching at some of the stubble that’s managed to grow on his face since the last time he’s shaved. “Don’t exactly want to find out either.”

“Yeah,” Mingyu says. “Mingyu doesn’t like this place. Mingyu wants to leave. Hurry up and follow Mingyu to the office.”

Junhui nods, gripping the handles of the wheelchair with resolve. For all they know, there could be some sort of manual in there on how to deactivate the big machine back in the atrium. He starts pushing it after the others, cringing internally every time the chair squeaks or makes a clunking noise. Why did Wonwoo have to pick the noisiest wheelchair in the entire hospital?

The office isn’t far away. When they reach it, Junhui thinks that it definitely looks like Mingyu’s led them to the right place. It’s extravagant, large, the kind of place you’d expect someone important to have as an office. The inside is messy, cluttered with file cabinets and discarded sketches. 

The four of them split up, Soonyoung moving around by pulling on the wheels. There’s an extensive collection of documents, none of which seem important but Junhui feels weird leaving behind nonetheless. It’s not like paper takes up much space, he supposes, slipping them into his backpack. 

“Guys, here,” Soonyoung calls after a few minutes, idling by what looks like the man’s main desk. He’s holding an old book of some sorts, extremely weathered. “I found a diary. Looks like there’s tons of stuff in here!”

They hurry to crowd around, looking down at the notes scrawled across the page that Soonyoung is on. There are some little doodles, messy notes about features and functions, even a little sketch of what looks like a little boy. “It’s Mingyu,” Mingyu says, looking emotional as he points at the boy on the page. “There’s a lot of drawings of you in here,” Soonyoung says gently. “At least in the parts I’ve flipped through. Your father must have really loved you.”

“Yes,” Mingyu agrees absently, voice tiny. Junhui takes pity on him, leaning down to Soonyoung. “Can I see the book for a moment?” He asks softly. Soonyoung nods, handing it over without protest. 

The book passes between their hands in one motion, something slipping out from between the pages as it moves. Junhui glances down, surprised. Wonwoo picks up the loose piece of paper from the floor, his eyes widening as he scans it. 

“Dear Mingyu,” he reads. “Or anyone that finds this, but especially my beloved son. If you’re reading this, I need you to do something for me. There’s a radio tower near the edge of the city. Even if all the power in the city has failed at this point, I’ve ensured it will work. You need to take the chip inside the second drawer of my desk and bring it up there. Broadcast the signal. It’ll turn them off. If you’re reading this, it means that I’ve failed. I’m sorry, please know that. I love you, and even if it seemed like I didn't listen to you, I always have. You are my most precious treasure, my greatest accomplishment. I’m proud of you and I’ll be watching over you. Love, dad.”

Mingyu bursts into tears right then, frantically wiping at his face with the ends of his sleeves. Junhui throws his arms around him, torn between wanting to cry at the emotional letter and wanting to rejoice at the fact that coming here was in fact not worthless after all. They can end this. He pats at Mingyu’s back repeatedly, Wonwoo awkwardly joining the hug after a moment.

“I’m sorry,” Mingyu says, speaking in the first person for the first time. “I’m sorry, I’ll stop crying.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Junhui soothes gently. “It’s okay. Take your time.”

Mingyu lets out a few more sniffles before stopping, heaving a few breaths into Junhui’s shoulder and then straightening up, eyes puffy but determined. “I’m good. Mingyu’s good. We need to go to the radio tower.”

Junhui nods, seeing Soonyoung pull the small chip from the drawer out of the corner of his eyes. “Yes. Thank you, Mingyu.”

Mingyu gives him a sad little smile, looking at them. “No, Mingyu thanks you. Mingyu never had the courage to come here on his own. Now he knows what he never did before.”

Wonwoo clears his throat, as incapable of reading social cues as ever. It breaks the atmosphere, making all three of the others laugh, albeit shakily on Mingyu’s part. “Let’s go,” Soonyoung says, pocketing the chip and clutching the diary to his chest.

Junhui nods, grabbing onto the handles of the wheelchair and moving to wheedle Soonyoung through the door after Wonwoo. Mingyu trails behind them. “Are we going back to the atrium?” Wonwoo asks, voice low. “No other way,” Soonyoung says. “Maybe it’s forgotten about us.”

It most certainly has not.

That’s clear from the sight that awaits them as they round the corner of the hallway leading to the atrium, the thing’s face wedged into the opening of the hallway and staring right at them. It must have wormed its way into this position, lower legs probably no longer on the ground. Junhui screams. The thing seems to take it as a challenge, lunging forward.

Apparently, the movement is too much for its balance, the creature tumbling backward into the atrium with a thunderous crash. Junhui scoops Soonyoung up again, using the opportunity to sprint. Wonwoo takes the wheelchair this time, running behind him with Mingyu.

The pure terror in Junhui’s veins fuels him as he dashes down the steps, two or three at a time, hearing the thing crashing around in the space outside. It smashes its whole body into the wall next to them at one point, the bricks scattering across the stairwell, one grazing Junhui’s arm. He grits his teeth against the pain and keeps moving, bursting through the doorway at the bottom. 

The creature waits until they’re almost at the original hall again to enact what it has been planning, smashing a limb into the roof above with enough force to collapse some of the ceiling material of the hallway down, blocking a portion of the entrance. Junhui stumbles, tripping over the falling rubble.

He hears Wonwoo screaming behind him and looks up, just in time to see the limb coming back down towards him and Soonyoung.

It’s as if time slows down, Mingyu’s form stepping out in front of them, his chestnut hair blowing about in the gusts of the atrium. “Mingyu won’t let you hurt his friends,” he says, last words before the piece of metal smashes through him, sliding his lifeless body across the room. 

Junhui’s mouth drops open, barely registering Wonwoo’s arms tugging him backward over the rubble and into the hallway while the thing is distracted, the screeching of metal echoing in the atrium behind them. His grip on Soonyoung is slack now, Wonwoo easily wrestling the other man from his arms and depositing him back in the wheelchair. “We have to go, NOW! He’s dead, Junhui!” Wonwoo snarls, red hot and angry in his ear.

Junhui turns to stare at him, immobile. “COME ON!” Wonwoo yells, grabbing him roughly by the shoulders. “Do you want to end up the same way?”

Numbly, Junhui shakes his head, tears dripping down silently from his eyes. Wonwoo seems to soften at the sight, still pulling on him. “We’ll come back,” he whispers, close to Junhui’s ear. “We’ll come back once we’ve shut that piece of shit off. We’ll bury him, okay?”

Junhui just chokes out a sob.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> press f to pay respects 
> 
> thank you for reading as always
> 
> probably only one or two more chapters


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> might decide to add an epilogue but im leaving it marked as completed for now

The closer they get to the radio tower, the more machines there are.

It’s almost as if the place is emitting a signal of some sort, which it very well may be considering what they’ve set out to do. Junhui huddles against Wonwoo’s side, stumbling through the horde of metallic creatures who seem to have little interest in them at all, heads pointed up at the tower. His grip on the wheelchair is tight enough to leave bruises on his fingers, breaths small and fast.

The image of Mingyu’s face is lingering in his mind, dancing across the back of his eyelids each time he looks around at the monsters that surround them. They’ve been lucky so far, weaving between the large bodies without any conflict. Junhui’s just worried that their luck will run out.

Soonyoung looks back at him, offering a reassuring gaze. Junhui swallows, trying to straighten up. He’s acting pathetic. The other two aren’t anywhere near as affected as he seems to be. 

Wonwoo’s hand flies out in front of Junhui’s chest suddenly, stopping his forward progress. Junhui almost lets go of the wheelchair in surprise, stiffening when he sees what he recognizes as an M444 Rhinoceros lumber across their path, beady red eyes shining out from underneath its protective shell. 

Wonwoo’s fingers tremble a bit against his chest. Junhui glances over at the other for a second, noticing that he looks just as tired as Junhui feels. A lump wells up in his throat and he forces himself to keep looking forward. Feelings can wait until they’re not in mortal danger.

Just then, the Rhinoceros crashes with a bang into another creature, one Junhui can’t quite make out. Before he can blink, the two are rolling around on the road, screeching and battering each other, new machines joining in at the ruckus. Wonwoo grits his teeth. “Run!”

Junhui obliges, seeing their chance in the gap that forms due to the crowd of machines gathering to brawl. He’s never witnessed them fight each other before. It’s seriously unsettling. The sooner they get out of this area, the better.

He sprints, pushing the wheelchair alongside Wonwoo. They pass machine after machine, many of them in worse condition than others. “It’s there!” Soonyoung yells suddenly, gesturing wildly up at the tower that seems to have sprung up out of nowhere, scaffolding stretching up into the sky. 

Junhui gulps, noticing something. “The ladder’s broken halfway up. We’re going to have to climb the sides.”

“Fuck,” Wonwoo spits, already looking nauseous at the thought. Junhui takes a deep breath, smiling at him reassuringly. “Give me the chip,” he says, more confident than he actually feels. “You stay down here with Soonyoung in case anything attacks.”

“I’ll catch you if you fall,” Soonyoung jokes unhelpfully, receiving a nudge on the shoulder from Wonwoo. “You can do it,” Wonwoo says awkwardly, glancing around at the clear space around them. “I know you can.”

He reaches out one hand, pressing the chip into Junhui’s palm, letting their skin touch for a few seconds longer than necessary. “Go,” Wonwoo whispers, barely audible. Junhui doesn’t need any more encouragement.

With nimble movements, he grips the first bars lining the tower, pulling himself up, gulping down his fear. It’s just like vertical monkey bars, he tells himself. He’s a pro at monkey bars. This is nothing. 

He continues to climb upwards, hearing Soonyoung gasp as his foot slips on one of the bars. He rights himself immediately, glancing down and immediately regretting it. He’s already at a height where he’d at least break several limbs if he were to fall. Soonyoung and Wonwoo look small, at least eight Junhui lengths below. 

Returning his focus to the task, he clambers upward, nearing the top. His hands are sweaty on the diagonal bars now, feet fumbling on the metal appendages. Just when he thinks he’s regaining balance, the whole tower vibrates. 

Junhui looks down, noticing that Wonwoo and Soonyoung seem to be involved in some sort of skirmish with a group of machines, one of which is clawing at the foundation of the tower, making it shake and wobble. 

Cursing, Junhui moves faster, the new vibration making him nauseous. He can hear faint yelling, not clear enough for him to make out any words. Very carefully, he approaches the device at the tip of the tower, drawing the chip from his pocket and looking around for a place to insert it.

Even having one hand off of the bars is enough to almost send him flying to his death, the shaking increasing in intensity. Junhui grits his teeth, wrapping his arm firmly around one of the support poles and clinging on as he fumbles with the device.

He knocks a hand into one of the antennae, finally finding a small slot to insert the thing into. Junhui takes a deep breath, glancing down one last time at his companions. They’re being overrun by the machines. He has to do this now. 

Junhui presses the chip into the slot just as the tower starts to tip over.

Junhui screams, clinging to the bars as his legs fly off balance, dangling over the land below. The tower seems to have stopped its motion, collapsing only partially. Junhui doubts it’s going to stay that way.

He glances down, seeing the frozen silhouettes of the machines surrounding his friends. Wonwoo’s yelling up at him and Soonyoung is screaming at the top of his lungs. Junhui shudders, tentatively lifting a hand from the bar and moving it onto the support pole of the tower. 

The structure jolts down another foot or so, creaking dangerously.

Junhui closes his eyes briefly, body sliding downward into another pole that catches him right across the stomach. He resists the urge to vomit, coughing as he tries to remember how to breathe. It takes several seconds for his hands to find the support pole again, little whines of pain escaping his lips as he decides he’s going for it.

Junhui swings his body onto the support pole with a gulp, gripping it between his thighs and trying to slide down it like a fire pole with as much proficiency as he can. The ground is getting closer and closer, although whether it’s because of his own motion or that of the tower he isn’t sure. 

Before he can ponder for too long, his spine is pounded into the dirt, Wonwoo’s hands roughly dragging him off to the side as the rest of the tower comes down with a thunderous crash. Junhui coughs and wheezes, covering his eyes with the sleeves of his shirt as dust rises from the crash, his ears ringing with the sound.

It takes a while for the effect to fade, Wonwoo and Soonyoung both coming into focus above him. Soonyoung’s walking, he realizes, leaning on Wonwoo’s shoulder for support, a grimace on his face.

“You’re bleeding,” Junhui murmurs, gesturing at the scratch on Wonwoo’s arm. Wonwoo scoffs, rolling his eyes in disbelief. “I’m fine, Junhui. You’re the one who almost died.”

“I-,” Junhui starts, trailing off as he blinks. “I love you. Both of you.”

Soonyoung laughs breathlessly, a cross between nervous and excited. “Are we really doing this now? I’ve been waiting this whole damn time for one of you assholes to confess and it takes us literally ending the apocalypse for it to happen?”

“Hey,” Wonwoo grunts, not really sounding offended. “You could have done it too, y’know.”

Junhui looks between them, letting out a delirious laugh. “So you aren’t rejecting me?”

Both of them shake their heads, Soonyoung giving him a soft grin. “Nah. No way. After all of this, you both are practically parts of me. I couldn’t live without either of you.”

Wonwoo grunts again, affirmation. Junhui smiles somewhat sadly, glancing up at the sky. “I’m really happy right now, for a lot of reasons,” he starts. “And as much as I’d like to sit here and kiss you two and talk about our dream house, we have to go back for Mingyu. You promised.”

“Of course,” Wonwoo says, expression darkening. “Of course.”

 

-

 

They bury Mingyu under a pretty cherry blossom tree, surrounded by overgrown bushes of flowers in what had once been one of the city’s gardens. Wonwoo leans down to press the drawings that they’ve carefully ripped from his father’s journal into the dirt with him, none of them saying much as they stare down at the hole. 

Finally, Junhui starts crying, Soonyoung immediately following suit. Even Wonwoo looks uncomfortably close to tears, walking over to wrap his arms around them both awkwardly, having to lean over to reach Soonyoung, back in his wheelchair. “We accomplished his mission,” Junhui sniffles finally, wiping his eyes on his shirt. “He would have been happy, I think.”

“Yeah,” Wonwoo replies, kissing Junhui’s forehead and then Soonyoung’s immediately afterward. 

“Yeah,” Soonyoung replies a beat late, voice hoarse.

Yeah, Junhui thinks, looking up into the evening sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YEAH, I think, cringing as I reread this.
> 
>  
> 
> thank you for all ur support ily xoxo

**Author's Note:**

> thank u for reading <3
> 
> feedback is appreciated
> 
> idkdjadihiwhdwhdwhdid


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